In the kingdom of Aeziris, a rebellion is rising, but its reins are not in the hands of its citizens. With a fine string entwining her heart with that of its chieftain, Esméralda must walk a knife-edge while navigating her way through a palace of ma...
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E s m é r a l d a A l b y
Sitting on the patio, I watched as Arthur's chest rose and fell in a rhythmic manner, signalling a peace I'd grown unfamiliar with. His footsteps were quiet as he came and sat beside me, three feet and a first-aid box seperating us.
It was the saddest of ironies, how he was a stranger I loved.
"I'm sorry you had to find that way, Esmé." His fingers clad in rings of gold was an odd sight, although the way he ran them through his raven locks was perfectly familiar. "I have wanted to come out clean—"
"Esméralda, Prince Aedric," for Esmé belonged to my Eirik alone.
"Aedric, Esméralda."
There it was; truth bare of my efforts to deny, stripping my leftover hopes of togetherness.
I pressed my lips as together and glanced away. He sighed. "At least, let me bandage your—" his voice tensed, "—wounds. Who did this? Who scratched you so bad that you bled?"
Your Celene.
"Is that what you do?" I spoke bitterly like I was fragmenting his softness with my belligerence. "Bandage girls and win over their hearts?"
"The only heart I've tried to win over is yours," replied he. "Now, just, please. It'll infect. I won't slide an inch closer."
"Stop. Stop lying, please," I couldn't dissolve the knot in my throat. "If even for a mere second, I was anything more than a warm body, sto—"
"Esméralda!" He bellowed, shaking me by my shoulders. "Just because you found out I am a Prince, doesn't mean every emotion that I shared with you held no worth!"
"You lied, from your position to your name."
"Those are the only things I lied about, Esmé." He cupped my face but he didn't seem to realise he did. "My love for you is true. You're the only one I wish to spend my life with."
"Trying to trust again is like carrying water in your palms," I covered his hands with mine, lowering them from my cheeks. "You can't do anything as it slips off."
I stood up, steeping into the open area with my back to him. Everything felt like it was closing in on me, suffocating me and crushing me. "Besides, you have a walk with Lady Cele—your Celene and you barely have half an hour for it."
"I'm aware I can't skip it."
"Great," I muttered to myself with a laugh upholding no humor. "I was never needed anyways."
With my head down to hide my tears, I tried to walk past him but he stopped me, taking ahold of my wrist. "Tell me, are your thoughts of me same as Mr. Clark?"
